One Step Closer To The Edge, And Im About To Break
by GeekyTuba13
Summary: Time for me to say goodbye.
1. Chapter 1

Maka tapped her pencil on her cheap desk, trying to block out Mr. Nussio's droning voice. She shifted in her seat, trying to get comfortable, but stopped when her movements caused her to bump one of her many bruises. She stifled a gasp, desperately trying not to draw attention to herself. She closed her eyes in remembrance.

Ever since her mother had died, her father had started drinking. When he drank, he became angry. And when he was angry, he needed an outlet. Sadly for Maka, she was cursed with the duty of the outlet. Ever since she was five, she had been her father's punching bag. And last night was no exception.

She was brought out of her thoughts by Nussio stopping in the middle of his lecture to stare at the door. A kid about her age, who she had never seen before, walked in holding a small piece of paper._ A new guy?_

"And who, pray tell, are you?" Nussio asked, basically sneering. The kid just smiled.

"My name's Kid. My family and I just moved here from Michigan."

_Well,_ Maka thought. _That explains why he's so pale._

"Yeah?" Nussio questioned, crossing his legs." Where from in Michigan 'Kid'?" He asked while doing sarcastic air quotations.

Kid's smile grew." I'm from Hell. Wasn't really my kind of place, ya know?" This earned him a few chuckles from the class. However, Nussio wasn't as pleased.

"Please take a seat Kid. You can have the seat next to Miss Albarn." He pointed, and Maka scoot into the seat closest to the wall. Kid gave her a small smile, and that's when she really looked at the young man for the first time.

He was tall. About a few inches taller than Maka. His hair was a jet black with three odd little white stripes on the left side. His eyes were a strange gold color, almost like honey. He wore a black silk dress shirt with a loose yellow tie that matched his eyes perfectly. On each hand was a skull ring on his middle fingers. He wore well-fitting khaki pants and on his feet were basic black skate shoes.

She hid her blush by turning her head towards the wall, away from the stunningly beautiful young man. He flashed another smile, this one more knowing than anything. He sat next to her. After about a minute of Nussio droning on once more, Kid took out a notebook from his shoulder bag and began, what looked like, taking notes.

Twenty minutes before the end of class, Mr. Nussio gave his class free reign. It wasn't long before conversations grew throughout the class room like weeds.

Maka wasn't really paying attention to anyone. Just kind of zoning everyone out. That is, until a gentle, yet firm, hand tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped, not expecting the surprising touch. Whipping her head around, she saw Kid with both hands in the air apologetically. He had a confused look on his face, but it was quickly replaced with another smile.

"Sorry." He said." I didn't mean to startle you. I just thought since we were going to be sitting next to each other, maybe we should get acquainted." He held out his hand. "Kid Kte*. And you would be?"

Maka timidly held out her hand." Maka Albarn. Nice to meet you Kid." She smiled slightly. Something caught her eye. She looked down at the desk to see Kid's notebook. As it turned out, Kid wasn't taking notes as Maka first thought. Instead, there was a picture of the sun. Well, kinda… Instead of the usual mass of burning gas, as one usually sees the sun, it was humans. Some were hugging, others were dancing, a few fighting, and the pictures carried on like that. But what Maka noticed most of all was the figure in the middle, which was one person, curled into a ball, as if trying to block everything around them.

"Whoa," she breathed. "Did you draw this?" She pointed to the picture.

"I know it's kinda weird." Kid defended picking up his notebook to exam his work. "But, I thought it sent a good message." He smiled at this and handed Maka the book. "Would you like to see more?"

"Oh, yes please!" She carefully grabbed the book as not to rip or damage anything. Kid watched her as she slowly turned each page of his sketch book, admiring his work.

"Is drawing your hobby? Because if not, I think you should invest some time into it." She smiled at him, causing a blush to spread on both teens faces.

"I draw when I'm bored. It's nothing special. But I am bored a lot, so I guess you could consider it a hobby of mine. What I really like to do is write and play music. Do you like music?" He asked.

"I'm not much of a musician, but I do like to listen." She explained. This was somewhat awkward for her. Almost all of the kids at school shunned her and she didn't know why. So, the fact that this complete stranger had had a long conversation with her was new and confusing. Just then, a boy from the other side of the room had called Kid over to talk with his group. Kid excused himself, and went over to talk with the group.

Maka felt awkward sitting by herself again after the wonderful company of another human being. But, that feeling soon left her, for she felt the presence of another soul looming rather close to her. She turned her head to the left to find the evil queen of the school, Liz Thompson standing right next to her. She gulped. The Thompson sisters were the rulers of the school. You mess with them, even unintentionally, they make sure to get back at you. Maka pulled her gaze up to the elder sisters' icy blue orbs, only to find them glaring down at her. She shot her downwards once again.

"Well, well, well, Albarn. Looks like someone finally notices your presence. Too bad for you though, cause he won't be around for long. Ya see, I've already called that hotty, and if you were smart, you would back off. Got me?" She snarled the last few words, causing Maka to shrink back into her seat even farther. Liz smirked.

"Good girl." She turned. "And don't worry! As soon as I'm done with him, he's all yours!" She laughed maniacally as she walked away.

_After finally getting a friend in this stupid town, I'm not allowed to be friends? What the hell? Dammit, I hate everything! _Maka could feel warm tears start to gather in her eyes. But, before they could escape, the bell for the hour break signaled, allowing her to escape without any one seeing her cry.

She grabbed all of her things at once and made a mad dash for the door. However, she wasn't fast enough to get out of the room before she saw Liz walk over to Kid, and begin to flirt with him.

_DAMMIT!_

***Kte= Death**

**I appreciate all of you who took the time to read my first fan fiction! Thank you. All criticism is welcomed. If you do not wish to review, don't. If you do, please go right ahead. I hate it when people ask for reviews-_- It's degrading. And yes, there will be new characters and out of character characters. Please don't whine to me about how so and so is "Not like the anime/ manga." I will do my best to update as quickly as possible. Pleasant days and quiet evening to all.**


	2. Chapter 2

Kid had finished his conversation with the boy who had called him over. He turned around to return to Maka's desk, but was blocked by a pair of two very large breasts… And a young woman attached to said breasts. He almost fell back in surprise._ MOTHER OF GOD! Are they fake ? If so, that borders on the point of ridiculousness!_

"Woops! Sorry Kid. Didn't mean to startle you." The woman rolled her body in what many would think seductive. Kid thought otherwise.

_She's just putting herself out there! Lord knows how many other people she's tried to seduce… And it's worked. _He shivered at the thought.

"Sorry, uh…" He trailed off, knowing no one except Maka.

"The name's Liz Thompson. And, don't worry. It's not your fault that you ran into me. But…" She grabbed his tie, pulling him closer. "If you want, you can make up for it either way…" She whispered in his ear causing him to shiver.

_This girl just won't let up, will she? And just look at her! She's nowhere near balanced enough! Her jeans are ripped asymmetrically; her hair is parted too far to the left… Disgusting!_

Kid, being the gentleman that he was, lightly took Liz's hands off of his tie and placed them at her side.

"I apologize, Ms. Thompson. However, I do believe that you've mistaken me for something I'm not. Now, if you'll excuse me." He began to walk around her, when she tackled him onto a desk. Kid looked around for the teacher to call this maniac off of him, but was surprised to see that no one was left in the class room.

_What the hell? Where did everyone go?_

Liz leaned down on Kid, their faces now no more than a few inches apart. She smiled and began to go in for a kiss.

_Like HELL I'm letting this crazy bitch take my first kiss!_

He turned his head to the side and brought his restrained arms in front of his face. Liz looked disappointed at first, but soon smiled at him.

"Awww Kid! Are you nervous? Because I can understand why you would be. Don't worry; I'll go easy on you." She leaned back down, only to find that Kid had slipped right through her hands and was packing up his things.

"You know, Kid, it's not polite to tease a lady." She pouted walking over to the young man. He shook his head.

"I know. But you, madam, are **NO **lady." And with that, Kid stormed out, leaving a pissed and flustered Liz in the old class room.

"You will be mine, Kid. I don't care who I have to hurt to get you. You **WILL** be mine!" And with that, the eldest Thompson sister began plotting

8 ********8

Kid walked all around the enormous campus asking if anyone had seen Maka, but people either just scoffed at him and walked away, or had no idea who he was talking about. He sighed. Had he really lost her? Surely she was somewhere nearby. Kid just walked around for another ten minutes, seeing as the break was an hour long, when he noticed someone staring at him. An old woman was sitting at a picnic bench all by herself. She smiled at him and beckoned him towards her. He complied.

"Well, you're a fresh new face, aren't you? Where are from, dear?" Her voice was sweet and sounded like a grandmother greeting her own grandchild. Kid smiled at the woman's warm personality.

"Yes ma'am. I just moved here from Michigan." He answered. He didn't know what it was, but he liked this woman a lot. She had something about her that made Kid feel…Safe? Happy? He wasn't quite sure.

"Michigan? How lovely! And, where from in Michigan? If you say Hell, I'm going laugh my ass off." She smiled knowingly at the boy in front of her, who seemed surprised by her deduction. "So I'm right, huh? Good to know the old woman's still got her touch." She chuckled, giving Kid a small victory dance, which he couldn't help but laugh at.

"Sorry miss, I forgot to introduce myself. Kid Kte. And may ask who you are?" He held out his hand to shake with her, but she just waved it away.

"Don't be a square! And the name's Sandy, but the old farts want you to call me Mrs. Donnan." She laughed at her jest of the other teachers and lightly slapped kid on the back. He chuckled.

_WAIT! A teacher? Maybe she knows Maka!_

"Excuse me, Mrs. Donnan? Do know a student by the name of Maka Albarn? I've been looking for her, and I can't seem to find her." He trailed off, as a gleam of recognition appeared in the teachers eyes.

"Maka Albarn? Of COURSE I know Maka Albarn! She's my favorite student! Why are you looking for her?" Her demeanor soon changed to protective. Kid almost jumped in surprise.

"She and I were talking last period, and I lost her when the bell rang." He didn't really feel like explaining being jumped by that crazy Thompson girl, so he just kept it to himself.

"She usually reads a book in the gardens about this time. I haven't known her to hang out with any of the other kids here, mostly teachers. If you want to go find her, she'll be in the large oak tree just off to the side of the garden. Good luck though." She waved him off.

"Thank you! Wait, why good luck? What do I have to worry about?" Kid was confused.

"I've seen only two people climb that tree. Maka, and her mother. Everyone else either falls out or can't get a grip to start with." She shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, I'm not like everyone else." Kid huffed and stalked away at the discouraging words.

The old woman smiled. "I see that. And I'm grateful." She went back to her lunch.

8********8

Maka sat in a large crooked branch of her favorite tree. She hid here when she wanted to be alone or her father had chased her out of the house. It was her safe haven. For some reason, only she could climb the tree. People either couldn't get a grip, or when they did, just fell off. She remembered her mom teaching her to climb as soon as she could walk.

A tear trailed down her face without her realizing it. Trying to block out painful memories, Maka pulled out her iPod and put on the music as loud as it could possibly go. She shuffled through her songs until she reached _Come Away to the Water_ from the hunger games soundtrack and closed her eyes, letting the song take her away.

Kid reached the garden after running for five minutes. He was gasping for air. He would have walked, if he hadn't noticed the storm clouds that were quickly approaching. He could a slight rumbling of thunder in the distance. Not good. He needed to get Maka and head inside, before the storm got too serious.

He looked over to the right side of the garden and noticed the massive tree that Mrs. Donnan had been talking about. It was much taller than the school and probably three times as old. He looked up into one of the higher branches to find a small, pale leg swinging back and forth, almost as if to a beat to a song. He grinned. _Finally!_

Despite his being tired, Kid ran over to the tree. He stopped immediately, seeing his problem. THERE WAS NO FREAKIN WAY UP THE TREE! How the hell was he going to get up there? He looked around the tree over and over again, finding nothing that would help him get up. He was about to walk away, when something caught his eye. A small hole, no bigger than a soda can, was camouflaged into the bark, making it look like a flat surface.

"Very clever." He whispered, running his fingers over the hole.

It took him a few tries, but Kid finally got a grip on the god forsaken tree. It took him even longer to climb the beast, since there weren't any other hand holds except for the one at the bottom. He collapsed onto another large branch right next to Maka's. He looked over at her to see that she had her ear buds in, blasting some sort of slow tune.

A raindrop landed on his head, reminding him of his purpose of finding the young girl so quickly. He scooted over to Maka, as close as his branch would allow him. He tapped her shoulder. Startled she jumped, causing her to lose her balance.

**I know cliffhangers suck, but I'm afraid that you'll have to deal with it until I can type up my next chapter. And, as promised, I would like to publicly thank all those who encouraged me to put up the second chapter so quickly.**

**-ace0512**

**-aprildragonfire16**

**-emoHippy1**

**-InLoveWithDeaththeKid**

**-icequeen89**

**Again, thank you to those who encouraged me to get this chapter out so quickly. I hadn't planned on releasing this for another few days. Pleasant days and quiet evenings**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I've been sick for a while, not to mention I have exams to study for and projects to do. So, without further to do, I present Ch. 3.**

Kid jumped over to her as Maka seemed to be falling in slow motion. He reached over grabbing one of her hands. _Yes! Got her. _But then he realized, he had jumped off of his branch too._ Stupid! _His stomach stopped him from falling over with Maka. Letting out an _oomph_, Kid smiled sheepishly at the very annoyed Maka, who was hanging on the other side of the branch.

"What is your deal? Every time I look away, you pop up scaring me half to death!" She was shouting now. She couldn't remember that last time she had spoken above a quiet murmur. Kid looked away, blushing.

"Sorry. I came here to tell you that we should probably head back towards the grounds." He braced his feet on a branch off to the side, pulling Maka back on to her previous branch. She nodded in thanks. Kid hoisted himself up next to her.

"Why should we head inside?" She asked, pulling her ear buds out.

"Well, if you haven't noticed, there's a storm comin-"He was cut off by a large raindrop landing on his nose.

Maka nodded, trying to hold back her chuckles. She put her bag back on her shoulder and began climbing down with ease, as she had done hundreds of times before. When she reached the bottom, she noticed Kid looking down at her with an extremely flustered expression on his face. He sighed.

Then, Maka realized why he was probably upset. Almost no one could climb that tree, and the fact that Kid had gotten up there the first time, was really impressive. He was probably trying to figure out how to get down.

"Need some help?" She shouted at him as he tried to find a route downwards, looking like a lost child.

"Just kind of go with the flow of the tree. It all leads down to the same place."

"Thank you for those words of wisdom, master tree climber Maka." He shouted back down sarcastically. This was ultimately his downfall. Literally. He slipped from the branch he was previously holding on to and began to fall from his branch. He fell for about ten feet before his shoulder bag caught on a branch, just causing him to hang in midair. Sheepishly, he smiled again, letting out an embarrassed chuckle.

"You alright?" Maka called out.

"Yeah, just give me a minute."

8********8

After a few minutes of readjusting himself, Kid finally got himself off of the branch and on to the ground. Huffing and puffing, he sat down out of breath. He looked up at Maka for a second, and then looked down again.

"Why did you leave class in such a hurry? Did I upset you in anyway?" He was genuinely confused.

"What? No! Why would you assume that I was upset!" She shot back defensively.

"You disappeared from class before I got to come back to the table. Why?" He raised an eyebrow. Maka sighed. Could she really hide this from him? She didn't want to lose her first friend in what seemed like forever. But, then again, maybe it was for the best.

The next thing she knew, Maka's head was gently forced to look up ward towards two golden orbs. She gulped, not able to pull away her gaze.

"Maka, answer my question." His eyes were piercing.

"Liz." She squeaked out. Kid was taken aback by this. She was terrified of the big-boobed wonder?

"What? That Thompson girl?" He was generally confused.

"It's stupid, forget it." She began to walk away, when Kid cut in front of her again. Rain was beginning to drizzle down, causing his stripes in his hair to stick out more than usual. He looked at her again, waiting for an explanation.

"Look. Liz and her sister run this school. Their father is a complete multi-millionaire and can make anyone do anything around here. They've inherited that same power. I've been told to stay clear of you, and if you want to stay on the safe side, you would do well to listen to them." She finished, waiting for him to laugh at how stupid she sounded. But he didn't. He just stood there with her in the rain, in the now deafening silence.

"Maka Albarn. I have known you for less than two hours, and yet I'm strangely pulled to you. I don't know what it means, but I do know that I'm not gonna listen to somebody with a rich daddy and giant boobs order me around like I belong to them. Are, you seriously let her stop us from being friends?" His voice had risen throughout his speech, and now Kid was shouting. It wasn't scary or anything, just so Maka could hear him. After all, the rain was falling faster and harder.

He waited for her to respond. Maka was debating whether or not she should accept this gift that he was giving her. She smiled. _What the hell!_

"You're right Kid." She said, looking up, more confident than she had ever been.

"You'd be surprised how often that happens." He joked, earning him a nudge in the ribs.

"Attention students." A booming voice echoed over the entire school and onward. "Due to the hazardous weather we are now dealing with, please board busses and call for those who can pick you up early. Walkers, if you live close enough, go ahead and walk. If not, please ask someone to drop you off. That is all." The speaker clicked off, signaling that the principle was done.

"Well, I guess I'm off. See you later Kid." Maka began to walk away. Kid grabbed her hand.

"Will you be able to get home alright?" He asked, worry written all over his face.

"Yeah. Don't worry about it. I live five minutes away, so walking really isn't an issue. How about you? Someone to take you home?"

"I think my sister's done with work about now, so I'll just call her. So, see you tomorrow?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. See you tomorrow Kid!" She waved, disappearing into a cloud of rain.

8********8

Upon arriving home, Maka saw that her father was home, which was odd for him was considering that he usually didn't get home until five in the evening. Watery foot prints led a trail to the kitchen and then to the living room, where the TV was shouting out some scores from a recent hockey game.

"Maka? Is that you? What are you doing home so early? School doesn't get out for another two hours." Spirit's speech was slurred. Probably due to the beer that he's already drank. Maka sighed and slowly walked to the living room where her father lay with a beer in his hand and a six pack on the coffee table next to him.

"Hey papa." She whispered, not sure of how stable he was.

"Answer my question." He growled at the soaked girl in front of him.

"We were let go early because of the weather." She answered. He snorted.

"They let you go because of this weather? That's some bullshit. When I was your age, I had to go to school either way." He barked, not realizing how loud he was because of the booze.

"Yes papa." Was all she said.

"'Yes papa!' Puh! No wonder nobody in this damn town likes you. You're such a downer. Why don't you take your piss poor attitude in the kitchen and start making dinner." He snapped. Shrinking back, Maka slunk to the kitchen, not wanting to get hurt tonight.

Even though it was only midday, Maka began making dinner. She knew her father enjoyed lasagna, and that would take a while, so she got started on it.

An hour of preparations later, dinner was almost ready. Maka went to go get started on her homework. But she couldn't stop thinking about HIM. Kid kept running through her mind, and she couldn't stop it from happening. He was the only person in her life, besides her mother and Mrs. Donnan, who had been somewhat kind to her. She didn't want to ruin that.

8********8

They had gotten through dinner without anything going wrong out Maka in a decent mood. Granted, they didn't really talk, but that was okay with her.

"Oy! Maka! I'm out of beer over here! Bring another pack and an opened one and hurry up!" Her father yelled from the other room.

"Coming Papa!" She yelled back. She ran to the fridge and grabbed the pack of beer like her father had asked. Jogging back over to the living room, she gently placed the pack of beer on the table in front of her father. Taking one out. She popped the top. Huge mistake. The beverage had been shaken when she was jogging, causing it to spray mostly on her, but some of it landed on Spirit.

"You dumb bitch!" He slapped right across her face, causing her to fall on the hard ground.

"Why the hell can't you do anything right? Useless!" He kicked in the gut.

_No! Why? I was so close to going a night without this. _The voice in the back of her head responded.

_It was your fault. You're the one who went running with the beer and shook it up. It's your fault Maka. He has every right to hit you. You are useless; he's just trying to teach how to be useful. _It trailed off as Maka's body brought her back to reality as she felt her father's foot connect with her stomach again and again. _He's never been this angry before. I must have really screwed up. I guess I deserve this though, right? _

The beating carried on for ten more minutes; until Spirit had gotten tired and given up with the whole thing. Meanwhile, Maka lay motionless on the cold floor, body burning with pain. She finally felt the tears start to leak from her eyes.

_I'm… sorry…_

She blacked out

**Hey guys. How did you all like it? Good? Bad? I know that it's really late, but again, I've been really busy. I'm actually studying for my AP test while I'm typing this to all of you. I would also like to mention that I will have another KiMa story up soon and it will be called Kingdom Come. Feel free to check it out, if not, don't. Pleasant days and quiet nights.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys. Sorry about the late chapter. I was gonna wait until after my AP final exam, but screw it. I'm not gonna say YOLO because I believe that really only applies to scary movies. Anyways, I'm gonna pull an all-nighter because I don't feel like doing it right now. Without a further ado, here's the third chapter of OSCTTEAIATOB. Please enjoy.**

Maka woke up on the cold tile floor, ribs aching and head throbbing. She opened her eyes and saw that the six pack she had fetched for her father the night before was now empty and cans littered the floor along with the stain of alcohol. A buzzing sound came from upstairs. After a while, she realized that it was her alarm clock. She sat up as carefully and as quickly as she could.

Limping to her room, she looked in the mirror to see the damage delt. She had a bruise on her cheek and a black eye from what she could tell. She didn't see the ones on her arm. Getting dressed quickly, she grabbed her makeup from the bathroom and began applying foundation to the bruising. Checking her watch, she dashed downstairs and grabbed her bag and was out the door within minutes.

Trying to walk as normally as possible, she started on her way to school. Little did she know that someone was right behind her.

"Maka!" Kid yelled, jogging up to the young blonde. He wore all black again, his shoulder bag barely hanging on to his shoulder.

"Oh. Hey Kid." She smiled at him, his goofiness looking weird in comparison to his dark appearance.

"Do you mind if I walk with you?" He held his arm in a gentlemanly manner. She smiled.

"Of cou-"She was cut off by Kids intense glare on her arm. Only then did she realize that she had bruises on her arms. She tried to pull away, but Kid caught her arm and held it close to him.

"What happened?" His voice was a low growl, seeming dangerous. She could see his darker side now, the black helping to outline it.

"This? Oh, I just tripped over a laundry basket and fell down. I didn't even know that I had bruises until you pointed it out." She laughed nervously, hoping to fool him. Apparently, it didn't. He only glared at for a moment, looking her up and down. He sighed after a moment and let go of her arm. He started taking off his jacket.

"You don't have to tell me the truth. But please, never lie to me." He helped her put it on. She was surprised but accepted it gratefully.

"We'll take more about this at lunch. I don't want to dampen your day by having it start off like this." He smiled weakly. She nodded.

"Okay Kid." They walked the rest of the way in silence.

8********8

Kid and Maka apparently had every class together. They sat in silence waiting for the rest of the class to show up along with the teacher. Kid sat silently with his eyes closed while Maka wrote in a little green notebook. Kid was leaning over to get a peak, when all of a sudden two big busts enter his line of vision. He sighed. He really did not need this right now.

"Howdy Kiddo!" Liz yelled from two tables away, which was unnecessary. A smaller girl with bleach blonde hair followed behind the tall Thompson.

"So this is him sis?" The smaller girl asked, lowering her breasts right in front of his face.

"He doesn't look too bad. Certainly better than the guys around here. Name's Patty" She leaned in closer, exposing her boobs even further. "I'm Liz's younger sister. She told me that you weren't too interested in her 'proposition' yesterday." She wiggled her eyebrows, causing Maka to look up from her notebook. Patty glared at her.

"What do you want, bookworm?" She snapped, causing Maka to lower her head back down to her book.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave now Ms. Thompson." Kid said, standing up and motioning to the classroom door.

"What for? You're not the boss o' me!" She yelled, drawing everyone's attention towards them.

"No. He's not. But I, Ms. Thompson, am. Now please, I suggest you follow Mr. Kte's advice and go to your class. But first, please stop by the disciplinary office and grab a slip for being out of dress code. And I will personally check that you do so." The figure behind her growled the last few words, causing Patty to slink away in fear, but the evil glint in her eyes still lingered. Liz snuck away to her seat as well.

"My apologies, young man. I don't usually see much bullying going on around here, but I assure you that this won't happen again. I don't believe we've met. I'm Mr. McHale, principle of the school." He said with a smile holding out his hand. Kid shook it.

"Nice to meet you sir. How did you now my name?" Kid asked, a knowing glint hidden behind his polite façade.

"It's a small town. People here know what you've don't before you know it." McHale said with a chuckle. "I'll be supervising this class today, so you can just sit back and relax." And with that, he walked away just as quickly as he had appeared. Kid's smile quickly turned into a frown as the older gentleman left.

"Kid? Are you alright?" Maka asked, placing her hand on his arm, a concerned look on her face.

"He lied." Was all Kid said before sitting down again.

"What do you mean?" She was truly confused now.

"That man lied to me twice within the amount of time we just talked. His first lie was that he does not tolerate bullying, and yet I've seen many kids getting bullied here. Particularly you, which really gets my fire burning."

"Why is it me that you care about most." She asked, surprised by his comment. He only blushed and continued.

"S-secondly, he said that he knew my name due to the fact that word gets around town quickly. He only knew me because of my father."

"Your father? What does he have to do with any of this?"

"My dad is a very powerful entrepreneur who donated a large amount of money to the school. That's the only reason the principle knows who I am and that's the only reason he's making sure I don't get bullied." He glared across the classroom at nothing but a wall.

"Oh." Was all she could say

8********8

They day went on with nothing interesting except for the fact that McHale seemed to be , coincidentally, monitoring every single one of Kid's classes. Noticing that he was growing more and more annoyed by his new found shadow, Maka was sure to make sure that she didn't do anything wrong to set him off.

It was after fifth period now and time for the lunch hour break. They both started out to the old oak tree. Maka just sat down at the base so Kid wouldn't get frustrated climbing the trunk. She sat down and waited for him to do the same. But he didn't move towards the tree, but instead passed it, looking out to the hills in the distance. He stood there for a minute, fists clenching and unclenching. Finally, he let out a seemingly crazed shriek and kicked a very large branch that was close to him. Maka covered her head due to reflex and waited for the noises of Kids rampage to end.

Kid just needed to let out a little frustration. In no means was he ever violent to another person, but if there was an inanimate object nearby, you could be sure that it would be broken by the time that Kid got to it. He broke dead branches for a few minutes before turning back around to see a cowering Maka in front of him, shielding herself with her hands. His anger immediately dissipated. Was she doing that because of him? Then he remembered what he had told her that morning.

"Maka? I need you to look at me." She flinched at his touch, which pained him inside. Gingerly grabbing her chin, he turned her to face him. He could see the fear in her eyes.

"Maka, you need to know that I've never hurt someone and that I never will. Especially you." And with that, he took her into his arms and held on fast. She started shaking. It took him a moment to realizing that she was crying.

"I really didn't mean to scare you that much. I'm so sorry. I promise that you'll never see me like that again. I was just really frustrated, that's all. Please don't cry Maka. Please." He pulled her closer, doing his best to comfort her. She pulled away just a little just so she could have room to talk.

" Kid, it's not you. I mean, yeah, your outburst startled me. But, that's only because you looked like-" She stopped mid-sentence, almost letting slip what had happened the night before.

" Looked like what?" He asked firmly, but sweetly at the same time. She sighed.

"I can't tell you." She whispered into his chest, barely loud enough to hear.

"Do I look like the person who hurt you last night?" He asked, the knowing glint returning to his golden orbs.

Maka was in shock. How had he read her so well? No one in town knew about her and her father's issues except for them. Maka remembers her papa telling her that if she ever told anyone, then she would be even more alone than she already is. She began to shake at the thought. She loved hanging out with Kid. No… She loved Kid. It was crazy, but even though they had only met less than twenty four hours ago, she immediately felt a connection. But, she didn't tell Kid that because she was still confused. She had been on her own for years and she wasn't sure if she was thankful just for his company, or if she liked him because of something more than friendship. She wouldn't tell him though. She still had things to think about…-

"Maka." Her thoughts were broken by Kid's voice. She looked up confused as he looked down with a sad and frustrated look on his face.

"You didn't answer my question. Who did this to you?" His eyes held hers, almost scaring her, but she could feel that he was only worried for her.

"Kid, what I'm about to tell you, you can't breathe a word, do you hear me? Not a soul. I've never told anyone this." She looked up at him again and he nodded. She slipped off his jacket, earning her an immediate reaction. Kid's eyes turned to slits as he barely held in a hiss of anger and disgust. He was obviously pissed, about what, Maka couldn't figure it out. He took her right arm and began turning it, looking it up and down, inspecting the damage. She looked away and murmured a few words.

"What was that Maka?" His voice was like a silk blanket, smooth and comforting.

"It… It was m-my papa." She whispered, but Kid had heard her this time. His face turned from angry to shocked and appalled.

"Maka…" He whispered back, holding her close as she shook with tears again.

"Please don't tell anyone! I already lost my mom, I don't want to be alone!" She sobbed into his shoulder as he rubbed soothing circles in her back.

"Maka Albarn, we need to get one thing straight right now. You are beautiful, you are kind, and smart and the most amazing girl I've had the privilege of meeting. The fact that someone is doing this to you is unforgivable, but your own father? I won't have it." He pulled her away so she could look at him. "I'm going to take care of this, I promise you. Do you trust me?" He asked, wiping the tears from her face. She nodded.

"Yeah, okay." She nodded and leaned back on Kid's shoulder as he wrapped his jacket back around her.

"Hey, Kid?" She started.

"Yeah?"

"Never mind. It's nothing. I just wanted to say thank you." She nuzzled closer to him.

"Anything for you." He whispered, laying them both down on the dewy grass and shutting his eyes. He was going to fix this, no matter what.

8********8

A few dozen yards away, Mrs. Donnan stood watching her favorite student and the new boy under the old oak. She had seen the whole scene play out and knew exactly what had happened. She saw the young man lie down and begin to stroke Maka's hair lovingly.

"Good" The old woman said to herself. "Things are finally starting to look up." She smiled, and with that finished her tuna sandwich.

**Well, that's all for now folks. Again, I apologize for not updating as frequently as you and I both want. However, I have a lot of things going on right now that I need to pay attention to. One of the main things being my health. I'm going to the doctor soon because of my lungs. I'm also busy studying for finals and completing projects. I'm ALSO working on the making of three other stories that are currently in the process of being written. Again, I appreciate your patience and hope that you like the story so far. I'm starting to get a little more in depth.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys. I'm on my last day of my freshman year in high school, and I gotta say, that besides the people that I met, it sucked. I know you're tired of hearing this, but I truly do apologize for making you all wait so long for the next chapter. I don't know if you really care about this story or not, but as long as I get an email at least once a month, then I'm satisfied that at least a few people are reading. I wanna thank those who've stayed faithful throughout the whole ordeal with me being sick and studying for my exams and all. So without further ado, please enjoy the next chapter of OSCTTEAIATB.  
**

Maka cried long and hard after she told Kid about her father. It had taken a while, but she finally cried herself to sleep on Kid's chest. He didn't tell her to stop or anything, but instead sweetly shushed her and whispered sweet nothings into her ear. She was in a deep sleep when Kid was contemplating on how to handle the situation in front of him. He could call the police, but he was pretty sure they wouldn't do anything about it, and he was sure that Maka's dad could talk his way out of any trouble. He could 'take care of it' himself, but that wouldn't work either. Maka wouldn't look at him the same again. Then it hit him.

The warning bell rang, shaking Kid from his previous thoughts. He looked down at Maka and blushed, just now realizing the position they were in. He shook her shoulder gently. Her eyes fluttered open slowly.

"Maka," He whispered sweetly, earning him a questioning groan. "It's time to go. The next period is about to begin." She looked at him confused, like he was speaking some other language. Then she understood his words and, still slightly drunk from sleep, got up and began stretching from the best sleep she had ever had.

"Sorry that I fell asleep Kid. I didn't mean to." She smiled, embarrassed. He smiled back.

"That's alright. You actually gave me time to think over some things." He held out his and Maka took it, smiling gratefully. They walked to class, not expecting what was waiting there for them.

8********8

Liz sat next to her boyfriend and captain of the football team, Soul Evans. She had come into the room bawling her eyes out when he had asked what was wrong. She explained that the new guy, Kid Kte, had tried to make a move on her during their first period. She had told him no, but he just wouldn't let up. Soul hated when Liz cried. Every guy in the school so far had tried to make a move on her and her sister, but they had always said no. Soul was peeved that the new kid would do something so stupid in the short amount of time he had been here.

"What does he look like babe?" Soul asked, rubbing soothing circles in her back. She was still crying.

She stuttered, "H-he h-has black h-hair w-w-with white s-stripes-s." She continued to cry all over him.

"Don't worry. I'll teach him the rules of the school. Just sit tight, alright?" He kissed her on her forehead and walked out of the room in a hurry.

Once he was out of sight, Liz stopped her incessant crying and allowed a small, devious smirk to play across her face. She knew how to work the system. She had a plan, and Soul was simply a pawn in her little game. Kid would be hers, and Maka would know her rightful place once again. Whatever the cost.

8********8

Maka held on to Kids arm as they walked down the hallway laughing and joking with one another. Maka was still a little confused about what Kid was thinking when she had fallen asleep, but she didn't ask, knowing that he would tell her sooner or later. The next thing she knew, Maka saw Soul Evans, the biggest jerk (and the dumbest) lifting some kid off of the ground and slamming his body into a locker. He was screaming at him, asking if he had seen somebody. Everyone else in the hallway had cleared out by now, knowing not to get involved with Soul when he was on one of his little rampages. The boy said he didn't know, and began to shake in fear. Maka felt Kid let go of her arm and she looked up confused. He started walking towards Soul.

"Kid, wait!" Maka whispered, pleading for him to come back. He smiled at her.

"It'll be alright. Trust me." He walked away once again.

When he got closer, Kid could hear the conversation more clearly.

"I know you know where he is pip squeak! Just spill it and you won't get hurt." The kid shook in fear as he was, once again, slammed into the locker.

"I'm telling you, I don't know!" He shielded his face with his arms, expecting a blow.

"Excuse me," Kid voiced from behind Soul, catching him off guard. "Who might you be looking for exactly?"

"It ain't none of your business loser. Now, scram!" Soul spat, not even attempting to turn around to see who he was talking to. Kid twitched.

"I believe you mean that it 'isn't any' of my business. Please take your grammar into consideration when you're speaking to someone you haven't met." Soul dropped the kid, who then scrambled to get out of harm's way. Soul turned around, ready to pound whoever just made him lose his concentration. He stopped in the middle of raising his right arm and smirked evilly.

"Finally" He growled, picking Kid up by the collar and shoving him into the opposite wall. Kid kept up his impassive behavior, and just stared at Soul, showing no emotion.

"Your name Kid?" Soul asked, shaking him a little at the question. Kid didn't react.

"Yes. And might I ask who you are?"

"Name's Soul Evans, something that you're gonna remember for the rest of your life." He raised his fist, ready to strike.

"No!" Maka shouted, running over to stop him, but it was too late. Soul's fist had connected hard with… the wall? Maka looked around for Kid, and Soul mirrored her movements wondering where he had gone. They heard a slight cough from a few feet away. Maka smiled as Soul stared dumbfounded. There stood Kid, unharmed and smirking slightly on the opposite wall.

"Well, that wasn't very nice, now was it?" He barely got out the last two words before Soul charged him again. Kid bent backwards, with amazing flexibility, and dodged Soul's punch once again. This pattern went on for a long time, with Soul punching with both his left or right fist and Kid always dodging at the last second. Maka could barely stand to watch the whole thing, waiting for the moment when Kid would falter and Soul would advance and really hurt him. Finally, Soul stopped and bent over resting against his knees. He was breathing heavily while Kid simply stood there, as if waiting for a second round.

"Soul Evans. Now, tell me, am I supposed to remember you because you were supposed to be threatening or because you're really slow?" Another smirk played on Kids face. But the same thing happened to Soul.

"Don't think that I'm done yet Kid. I've got more than just one trick up my sleeve." And with that, he stood up straight, placed his hands in his letter man jacket, and walked away. Kid shook his head.

"We'll see." Kid walked back over to Maka who greeted him with a light punch to the shoulder. He rubbed it, pretending to be hurt. "What was that for?"

"For going and upsetting another very powerful person in this town. You're not making any friends, you realize that, right?" She basically shouted at him, turning around in a huff.

He reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her to him.

"I'm not looking for friends. I've got you, don't I? I don't think I need much else." He placed his head on top of hers. Maka was blushing profusely at this point. She couldn't figure out why he was always being so nice to her, and now he was holding her in a position that felt awkward and comforting at the same time. He turned her around so she was facing him.

"Maka?" He held a questioning look on his face, as if asking permission for something.

"Y-yeah?" She wasn't sure what to do. She didn't know what he wanted. He leaned in closer to her face. She could feel his breath on her now. He stopped, but only for a second. That's when something came and hit Kid right in the side, knocking him off balance. Maka just stood where she was, confused and stunned.

"Whoops! Sorry there, Kid. I was aiming for the other hooligan in the hallway." Mrs. Donnan looked around the hallway, but the only two that were there were Kid and Maka. A devilish smile grew on her face.

"Now, get into class before the tardy bell rings and I have to give you two detention slips!" She walked back in her classroom laughing at Maka's dumbfounded expression.

"Yes ma'am." Kid grunted, getting up off of the ground rubbing his side. He saw Maka staring at him concerned and looked away blushing.

"Sorry about that." He mumbled, walking up to her, embarrassment plain on his face. Maka smiled at him, forgivingly.

"It's alright Kid. But, we should probably get to class before Mrs. Donnan throws something else at you." Kid nodded a little too enthusiastically, making her giggle.

They talked most of Mrs. Donnan's class about random subjects. Books, old movies, other subjects in school that interested them, when Maka remembered a question of hers that Kid hadn't answered from before.

"So, Kid. When I fell asleep on your lap, you said it gave you time to think. Think about what exactly?"

Kid's eyes grew dark and secretive. He lowered his voice down to a barely audible whisper.

"Maka, the idea that I'm about to offer might offend you, but I think it could you in your 'situation'. Are you sure you want me to tell you?" His eyebrows knit together, asking for permission and, if needed, forgiveness.

"What's your idea?" Maka lowered her voice down to the same level of Kids. He looked down, nervous for a split second, but his bravery came back in less time.

"Move in with me." It wasn't as much of a question, as it was an order.

Maka didn't move. She didn't speak. She was stunned. Leave? Just like that? Granted, they lived in the same town, but still. Just to get up and leave the house she was born and raised in, leaving her only known living blood relative. Leaving her father. Oh God, what would he do when he found out that she had left? Would he call the police? Would he track her down himself? That one was even worse. Maka shuddered at the thought of her father barging in through Kids front door and beating her into unconsciousness as he had done many times before. Kid's voice broke her thoughts.

"Maka?" He was holding her hand with a scared look on his face, like that of a child who had done something wrong in front of his parents and was waiting for punishment. She shook her head.

"Kid, that's not gonna work. My dad will –"

"He won't do anything to you while I'm around I promise!" He pulled her close, desperately trying to reassure her. She looked away, still unsure.

"I'm not worried about me." This took Kid off guard.

"Who then?"

"You. I'm afraid you doing all of this for me might get you hurt or get in trouble."

"I don't care what happens to me. I only care what happens to you." His golden orbs pierced her green ones, making her shiver. He wasn't scary, he was strong and caring.

"Alright." She mumbled.

"Really?" Kid asked, his voice raising due to his surprise in her answer.

"Yes Kid. I'll move in with you-"She was cut off on her last word due to the hug that she was pulled into.

**Hey guys! So, how was it? I know that this chapter took a long time to get out, but you can blame that on medical based issues and final exams. But, now that it's all over, I plan on devoting 90% of myself to my fanfics this summer (you know, when I'm not at softball/band camp or volunteering at the hospital.) I wanted to dedicate this chapter to two very important readers of mine who have reviewed both of my stories and have always commented on the chapters that I post.**

**InLoveWithDeathTheKid**

**Daughter of Zeus007**

**Thank you two so much for always being supportive. There are a lot of other people that I would like to thank too, but I'm afraid that I'm running out of time for today. Thank you all so much. Have pleasant days and quiet nights.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sooooooo… Yeah. I know that I said that I would try to get the next chapter up sooner rather than later, but stuff went down. There was a crazy storm and the next day I had to go off to softball. Also, I got a wee bit lazy after I came back from camp. I know. I suck. Well, I'll just stop with the chit chat and start the chapter, eh?**

Maka was thrown off guard by Kids sudden embrace. Not really knowing what to do, she hesitantly wrapped her arms around his torso, causing him to squeeze her tighter. He pulled away, smiling goofily with a bright red blush on his face. Maka smiled back, feeling the heat in her cheeks as well. Kid coughed, sitting up straight and regaining the sharp, cool expression from before.

"For this plan, I need to know when your dad will be in and out of the house." Maka put a finger to her chin, pondering the question, not entirely sure how to answer.

"He doesn't really have a schedule. Sometimes he shows up early from work and sometimes I don't see him until the next day. But Friday is usually his day that he's away from the house. That and Saturday morning. He usually goes clubbing and picks up women when he's out." She looked back at Kid who was nodding, his eyes closed with his chin on his laced fingers.

"Perfect. Today's Thursday, so we can do it tomorrow night. Do you know when he usually leaves?"

"He doesn't usually come home on Friday nights. He usually just heads to the bar downtown." She shrugged non chalantly, causing Kid to twitch slightly. How she was dealing with this so easily, he had no idea.

"Do you have a cell phone?" He asked getting ready to pull his out.

"Yeah. Hold on a second." She starting digging in her shoulder bag, only to pull out a silver Motorola razor. Kid smiled slightly.

"Ah, yes. The iPhone of 2004." He got Maka to smile slightly.

"Do you want my number or something?" She asked, nudging him in the stomach for his previous comment.

"Yes, actually. I need it so I know when your dad is gone. That's when I'll swing by and pick you up."

They exchanged numbers and information. Maka was already getting nervous. She didn't know how her father would react when he found out that she was leaving. She began quivering at the thought, which Kid picked up on immediately.

"You don't have to worry about him, alright? Once we get you out of the house, everything will be just fine. You'll be safe and sound, and that's all that matters."

She nodded, as if to agree with Kids very valid point. But that didn't erase the fear that showed in her eyes. Kid didn't even think about what he was doing, he just did it. He wrapped an arm around the shaking girl next to him, catching her off guard once again. Maka looked up to find two golden orbs staring down at her with great intensity. She went to look away, but a firm, gentle hand caught her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"K-Kid?" She was surprised by his sudden advance that she didn't see him move in for what she thought she would never receive from anyone. He tilted his head and closed his eyes. Maka did the same. But the next thing she knew, a loud thud had resonated from the surface of her desk. She opened her eyes to find Kid half-conscious on the desk with a dictionary lying right next to him. Maka looked up confused and dumbfounded that someone would do such a thing. Then a voice called her name.

"Oh Maka dear, would you mind coming to my desk for a moment please? And make sure Kiddo over there hasn't completely left us." Mrs. Donnan beckoned from her desk with a discrete smirk barely noticeable on her face.

"Uhhh… Yes ma'am." Maka leaned down quickly and shook Kid's shoulder lightly. "Kid? You okay?"

She received a reply of unintelligible mumbling which told her Kid was still with the living. But, she guessed, just barely. She got up and slowly walked over to Mrs. Donnan. When she got over to the old woman's desk, she was asked to sit down. Maka did as she was told and waited for Mrs. Donnan to speak.

"It's rather warm in here, don't you think Maka? Perhaps you should take that jacket it off in order to cool down a little." Her eyelids closed slightly, giving her a knowing look. Maka blushed.

"It's his, isn't it? He's a good boy, Maka. A real keeper, you see that, yes?" Maka looked down at her folded hands and let a little smile grace her lips. She nodded.

"But, seriously. It's hot in here. Why did he give you his jacket with this kind of heat?" Maka's smile vanished into thin air as she pulled the jacket closer to her body, protectively.

"H-he was just trying to be a gentleman this morning when the air had a slight chill to it. I guess I just never thought to take it off. It's actually quite comfortable." Maka faked a smile, which earned her some doubt from her teacher. But, Mrs. Donnan just shook her and continued with her lecture from before.

"I usually try not to encourage this, as you saw in the hall and just now, but I want you to go after him. He's an attractive young man, and if you don't hurry, he might get snatched up right before your eyes." She made a grabbing motion with her hands to add emphasis to her words. Maka nodded her head.

"Is that all, Mrs. Donnan? If so…" She got up to walk back to her desk to check on the still unconscious Kid.

"Just one last thing. You know that you can trust me, right?" The old woman's wisdom showed through her eyes tenfold now, causing Maka to shiver at the sudden intensity.

"Yes ma'am." Mrs. Donnan sighed.

"Very well then. Please return to your seat, Ms. Albarn." Maka did what she was told instantly.

Kid woke up with his head on the desk and a throbbing pain, like something had just hit him in the face. He looked up to see what was going on when he spotted Maka on her way back from Sandy's desk. He blinked a few time to refocus his eyes. Maka started walking back to their desk, arms behind her back and eyes plastered to the floor. Kid rubbed his head.

"Hey." He said, but it came out as more of a hoarse groan. He jumped slightly, taken off guard by the new sound his throat was making. Maka nodded in his direction as to recognize that he had spoken.

"What happened? I remember discussing the plan with you, but after that, it's all a blur." He watched her as she sat down, cheeks tingeing red. He was confused.

"Mrs. Donnan hit you over the head with an encyclopedia then asked to speak with me at her desk." Kid looked at her, still wondering why she was being vague about their writing teacher hitting him over the head with a book. But he left it be for the moment.

"What did she want to talk with you about?" This caused Maka's face to get even redder than it already was.

"S-she wanted to ask me why I was wearing a jacket when it was so warm inside." This peaked Kid's interest.

"And what did you say?" He moved in closer, to make sure that no one else could hear their conversation.

"I didn't really say anything. I just avoided the question so I wouldn't have to lie." Kid nodded solemnly.

"Alright then."

The last two periods went by without any incidents. Kid and Maka carried out pleasant conversations throughout their last periods as if nothing bad had gone wrong all day. On the walk home, the laughed and joked with each other as if they had been friends forever. When they finally got to Maka's house though, all went quiet.

"Your last day Maka. Just think about it. You'll be leaving soon. Are you sure that you're okay with this plan?" Kid tilted his head towards her, genuinely caring about her decision.

"Yes. I need to do this. I don't think I can take much more. I feel like I might just… just…" She struggled to find the right word. Kid piped up.

"Break?" He whispered. She nodded.

"Remember what I told you to do?" He asked

"Yes. I've got it covered."

"Call if anything goes wrong, alright?"

"Alright." She smiled up at him and he did the same. He pulled her in for a hug, which she accepted gratefully this time. He squeezed her reassuringly.

"See you tomorrow, Maka."

"See you, Kid." They parted ways, Kid continuing down the street, and Maka walking inside her house.

As soon as she stepped inside, Maka could sense that something was off. She quietly put her bag down and listened. Nothing. There was absolute silence in her house. And then she heard it.

"Maka… Oh Maaaaakaaaaaaa…" Her father's voice echoed in a ghostly manner, chilling her to the bone. She had never heard him like that before. Something was wrong. Way wrong. He spoke again.

"Come here, sweetie. Papa wants to talk to you for a second." Maka didn't move one step. She was far too frightened.

"I'll get you something to drink first papa." She heard a devilish chuckle from the other room.

"That's alright. I've got plenty to drink. Just come in the living room. I won't ask again." There was a slight growl to the last few words that made Maka's heart fall right into the pit of her stomach. She knew that what was about to happen next, was not going to be good at all. She walked into the living room.

8********8

Kid continued his walk from dropping Maka off at her home. He was in deep thought as to how he was going to pull his plan off. He also worried about the fact that her father was irregular with his schedule and might mess everything up. But it all seemed like minor details to him. All he knew for sure was that he needed to get Maka out of there as fast as he could.

Kid was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't realize who he was walking towards until he bumped into him. Kid fell to the ground, caught off guard by his sudden collision with the person in front of him. He began apologizing immediately.

"Sorry about that. I guess I wasn't paying attention. Are you o-…?" He stopped mid-sentence as he realized who he was apologizing to. There, standing right in front of him, was Soul Evans. Perfect. Just perfect.

"Well, well, well. If it ain't the new kid. I got a bone to pick with you." He grabbed Kid by the collar like he had done before, but this time with a tighter grip. He lifted Kid off of the ground, and slammed him into a nearby tree. Kid was confused as ever. Not only was he not sure what Soul was talking about, but he also had no idea where he was at. Looking around, he discovered that he was behind the gas station a few miles away from his home. He was so close…

"So, you tried to hit on my girl, huh?"

"What?" Kid was thrown off guard by this sudden assumption.

"Don't play dumb with me! I know that you tried to take advantage of her!" He slammed Kid into the tree with every syllable. Kid's breath left his body with the first hit. His vision grew hazy with the rest.

"Soul, I haven't hit on anyone at all since I came to this school. I have no idea what you're talking about and ask that you release me immediately." Kid tried to reason with words as calmly as he could, but they didn't seem to have any effect on the big oaf. Soul slammed him into the tree once again.

"This is what you get for lying you little shit!" He raised his fist, and Kid prepared for the worst.

**Well? What did you guys think? Leave a review if you want. If not don't. But you guys already knew that, right? Also, anyone out there a brony or pegasister? I'm thinking of writing an mlp fanfic. Give me a shout if you want to see it done.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Really? No one here is a brony or pegasister? That's cool. I'll still probably write the story anyway.**

Soul raised his fist, and Kid prepared himself for the inevitable blow. There was no one here to save him. No one to witness what was going to happen. No one to stop the sheer stupidity that was Soul Evans.

Soul's fist came down on Kid's skull with a loud crack. With just one swing, Soul Evans had managed to give him a concussion. Kid's vision immediately blurred, causing him to see more than one Soul. The next blow came to his gut, cracking (possibly breaking) ribs. All of the air left Kid's lungs once again, only worsening his vision. He could feel himself losing consciousness. Only two blows and he was already fading. But that didn't mean Soul noticed. He released Kid from his position against the tree, causing him to land on his injured ribs. Kid slowly raised himself off of the ground onto his hands and knees. Soul took his opportunity. He lifted his foot and began dealing horrible kicks to Kid's back and legs, blood oozing out of the cuts immediately.

Soul grinned evilly at the sight in front of him. Another newbie taught their place. He kicked Kid in the stomach one last time, causing him to flip over onto his back. He spit at him.

"Watch your step kid. Next time, I won't go so easy on you." He started walking away, leaving the bloodied mess of a boy in a pile of leaves, moaning in pain and losing a lot of blood.

Kid lay in the pile of what he perceived to be dead leaves. His head was screaming with pain. Mostly from the concussion he suffered, but also raging with questions. Who was Soul talking about? Why would he do something so drastic for a girl who merely claimed that Kid had hit on her?

The questions would have to wait though. He could feel his body growing numb from the blood loss and his eye lids were growing heavy from his head wound. He slowly eased his hand into his jeans pocket, careful not to hurt himself further. Through his fogged vision, he found the contact he needed and pressed dial. Now, it was just a waiting game.

8********8

Maka was terrified. She had never heard her father speak in such a haunting tone. It was like it wasn't even him in the other room. The fact that everything else in the house was quiet and all of the lights were off didn't help the situation one bit. But, being even more scared of the idea of another beating from not following orders, Maka went into the living room.

Immediately, the first thing she noticed was the cloud of smoke circling the room. It smelled something awful and Maka couldn't help but gag at the ghastly smell of the substance. The second thing she noticed, when she was done with her hacking fit, was two very large grey goose bottles *1. She looked at her father confused, but he just smiled as if nothing was wrong.

"Ain't it just swell, Maka? Can you guess what happened to me at work today?" His eyes were blood shot and the joint in his hand had over half of the ash on it still. Maka just looked at the scene in front of her, confused as ever. Her father just shook his head in disappointment.

"Awww, come on now. *Hic* don't be like that. You're a dorky lil' kid. Surely you can figure out that your papa got a raise." He smiled with a dreamy expression plastered on his face.

"Now papa can afford to get the good stuff." He put the joint back in his mouth and inhaled deeply.

"That's nice papa. Do you need anything while I'm here?" She asked her usual question whenever he was in his recliner. He smiled wickedly.

"Why don't you come and sit with your papa for a minute?" He patted his lap, inviting Maka to take a seat. She grimaced.

"That's okay papa. How about I go get dinner ready instead?" She started off towards the kitchen, but was stopped by a big, beefy hand wrapping around her wrist. She looked up to see her father standing up with a deadly glint in his eye, and a scowl across his face. He squeezed her wrist, causing her to let out a small squeak of pain.

"I said to sit down Maka. You wouldn't want to make papa upset now, would you?" He growled through his teeth, squeezing her wrist even harder and pulling her back to the chair. Maka sat down on her father's lap, growing increasingly uncomfortable by the second. Spirit didn't seem to take any notice. He pulled her closer by the waist, causing her to squeak yet again. His devilish smile grew.

"Y'know Maka, you look like your mama. You two have the same hair," He began playing with a strand of Maka's hair with his thumb and index finger, rolling it between the two.

"You have the same smell," He placed his face against Maka's neck and inhaled deeply. She shivered. There was a pit growing in her stomach. Maka could sense what her father was up to. He was too drunk and high to realize what he was doing, but he was doing it none the less. Maka grabbed her father's hand, forcing it away from her. This earned her an angered growl from Spirit.

"I really should go get dinner ready papa…" She went to go push herself off of her father's lap, but was stopped by his hands pulling at her waist. She wouldn't do it. He could beat her and insult her all he wanted, but she wasn't going to give him this.

Maka raised her arm and, aiming very carefully, elbowed her father right in the family jewels. He doubled over in pain, and in the interim, released Maka. She started running for the door, but was thrown off balance by something hard hitting her in the small of her back. All the air was knocked out of her lungs, and she heard the shattering of glass behind her. She barely braced her hands on the wooden floor when a firm hand grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her up to her feet. Spirit leaned in again, exhaling his rancid alcohol ridden breath right in Maka's face. She grimaced at the awful smell.

"You little bitch! You thought you could run out on me? I'm fucking Spirit Albarn! I'm the god damn man of this house! You are my daughter and I won't let run off and be a little whore!" He threw Maka back on the ground. He kicked her in the back and legs over and over again. Maka knew that if she didn't take action immediately, she'd be stuck with her father even longer. She had to figure something out, and do it quickly. Then, she remembered the glass. Her father had knocked the wing out of her by sending a drinking glass her way.

Peeking out from her shielding arms, Maka spotted a large shard of glass not too far away. In reach, actually. Spirits kicks were slowing, showing how drunk and tired he was. Not to mention the drugs taking their beautiful effect on him. Quick as a flash, Maka grabbed the shard and did the one thing she could think of; ram it in the most vulnerable place on the body. Her father's arms were at his side, unable to protect him from what was coming.

It was all too fast. Maka sprung up from the ground with new found energy. Spirit stood stock still, trying to grasp what was goin on. The shard connected with skin and cut it, as if it were only tissue paper. There was a blood curdling scream as blood poured from the open wound. Maka had sent the glass to his face, and Spirit had lost an eye in the process.

Maka didn't stay a moment longer. She grabbed her bag at the front door and Kid's jacket. She bolted out the door, but that didn't stop her from hearing her father's haunting words that would follow her for the rest of her days.

"You little bitch! I'm not done with you! I will find you! I always get what I want! I will find you Maka, and I'll bring you back home. Dead or alive."

Maka didn't stop to anything else. She simply ran to the only place where she knew she would be safe. After a few blocks of running, Maka pulled out a slip of paper with a name and address on it.

_Kid Kte 888-424-2564 Gallows Mansion 81018 Outskirts Road_

_A few miles behind the local gas station_

Maka started heading towards her destination.

8********8

Kid lay on the couch, holding a bloody rag to his nose, and an icepack to his head. He groaned. That medicine his sister had given him hadn't kicked in yet. He was lucky his father had forced her into the new house, or he would still be lying unconscious in front of the gas station. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, when suddenly he heard uneven footsteps coming from the hallway. Then he heard the singing.

"_I took a walk around the world to ease my troubled mind. I left my body lyin' somewhere in the sands of time! Well, I watched the world float to the dark side of the moon. I know there's nothing I can doooo… Yeah!" _Into the living room slid a young woman, maybe in her early twenties. She wore had black skinny jeans on, which brought out her neon socks. She wore a shirt with a draconequus with the word _DISCORD _written over it. She also had glasses that seemed to suit her, along with her crazy black and blue hair. She smiled at Kid as she waved medical tape in the air triumphantly. He only sighed. His sister, Teena, or Teen for short, always seemed to have some reason to smile. He wasn't saying that it was a bad thing, but it did get on his nerves every now and then.

"So, your second day in town and you got into a fight? Pretty sick lil' bro. But next time, make sure you can kick their ass before you try and take em' on." Kid rolled his eyes, and Teena poked him in the ribs, earning her an angry growl. She raised her arms submittingly. Kid only shook his head.

"Why did you get your ass kicked anyway?" She asked as she began cleaning and bandaging Kid's wounds. He looked up at the ceiling, as if finding it way more interesting than his sister.

"Some guy thought I was hitting on his girlfriend, when in reality, she was hitting on me." He said in a monotone kind of voice.

"Was she hot?" Teena pried.

"In normal terms, I suppose guys find her attractive-"

"Big tits?" She asked, knowingly.

"Texas would be very jealous." Kid joked now, earning him a small laugh.

"But you like that Maka girl who's coming over tomorrow, right?" She looked Kid in the face now. He turned away trying to hide his blush. But, you can only turn so far when you're injured and on a couch.

"Yeah," He whispered, barely audible to human ears. "I really do. A lot, actually." Teena smiled at her little brother, who seemed to be growing up much faster than she first thought when she came to town.

Their conversation was brought to a close by a timid knocking on the front door. Kid looked at the frosted glass, wondering who the silhouette belonged to. It was bent over at the stomach and the pigtails were disheveled- Pigtails? A pit grew in his stomach as realization dawned on him. He went to go get up, but Teena placed a firm hand on his shoulder. He looked up and she shook her head, discouraging his previous thoughts of getting up while he was still injured. She walked over to the door and there stood image that would haunt Kid's dreams for years to come.

Maka was covered with blood. One of her pigtails was out while the other simply dangled loosely near her neck. In her hands she held her bag and his jacket. Her eyes were bloodshot and glossy. She looked like she was about to pass out any second now. And he was right. The moment Teena placed an arm around the tattered girl; she closed her eyes and collapsed in the older woman's arms.

"MAKA!"

**Alrighty. I know this chapter took longer than expected. And that is to be blamed on no one but me. I got a real crappy writers block and so I just kept putting it off over and over again. Again, not sure when the next chapter will be out. I'm hoping before or by the Fourth of July. Oh! And by the way, a draconequus is a creature mad out of random animal parts. Discord is the name of one of the villains from MLP: FIM. If you don't watch it, you won't get the reference. Well, it's almost one in the morning here. Nighty night!**


	8. Chapter 8

**NO TIME TO SAY MUCH. Let us begin!**

Kid braced his arm to get off of the couch, but was stopped by the glare of burning amber eyes, much like his own. Teena stood in the threshold of the doorway, supporting the unconscious girl over her shoulder. Maka was bruised and bloodied all over. There were scratch marks all over her body. A pit in Kid's stomach told him who could have possibly done this. He went to move again, but a wave of pain shot through his body, causing him to lie back down on the couch with a moan of defeat.

Teena set Maka's limp body on the love seat adjacent to Kid. With a better vantage point Kid took in what he could before Teena could block his view. Her right hand was the one covered in the most blood, with a long, deep cut running across the middle of her palm. Her face was swollen from being punched, for red marks were still somewhat visible on her face. Both of her eyes were black and swollen shut.

A rage grew within Kid's heart. Much like a wild fire grows with the dry winds of summer. Her father did this. He had harmed the girl that… that he loved. Kid loved Maka, and he knew this now. Seeing her in this state had shown him how much he truly cared for her, despite them only meeting a few days ago. He would make sure she knew too. As soon as her beautiful emerald eyes fluttered open, Kid would tell her. And no matter what her reaction may be, he would still love her, even if she didn't love him the same way.

Maka wasn't completely unconscious. When her legs had given, she had heard Kid shout her name. She was surprised that she had even made it so far in her condition. Someone, an older woman, had caught her before she had fallen. She could feel her weight leave the ground, and be carried off towards some unknown destination. She heard groan in pain. Was he hurt? She began to panic, but relaxed as soon as she felt the warm, soft cushions beneath her back. She could feel someone's hands worrying over her. They were warm and soft. It reminded her of her mother, and how she always worried over Maka when she fell or scraped her knees.

The person over her started to speak calm soothing tone. But it didn't sound like it was directed to Maka, but someone right across from her. That's when she heard Kid speak.

Teena did a quick once over of Maka before letting out a sigh of relief and anger. She turned to Kid, who was almost leaning off of the couch to see the broken girl.

"You found yourself a fighter here, Kiddo. She's been badly beaten, but I can fix her up. She's a tough one, almost anyone else would have collapsed from exhaustion halfway here." Teena got up to go get more bandages.

Kid looked over at his bloody love. He longed to go over and comfort her in anyway, but he was stuck on the couch until Teena could find medicine to numb the pain.

"Maka?" He asked the seemingly unconscious figure across from him. To his amazement, she groaned quietly, almost silently. Kid was startled by the unexpected noise.

"Maka? Can you hear me? You made it to Gallows Manor. My sister is going to get bandages to tend to your wounds. Can you open your eyes?" He received another groan in response, this one quieter than the last. Her eyelashes moved slightly, but other than that, nothing.

"Alright, I got the bandages and medical cream." Teena came back into the room with a glint in her eye, which basically shouted that she was a woman on a mission. She rubbed Maka's arm up and down in a motherly fashion.

"Don't worry, baby girl. We're gonna fix you up."

8********8

About half an hour later, Maka was bandaged and sleeping soundly. Kid had sat and watched the entire time, looking for any kind of reaction. Every time his sister would apply cream to her cut and scratches, she would tense up if only for a moment, then relax at the soothing sensation it brought.

Teena packed up all of the creams and bandages but stopped and put her finder in the air, as if she had suddenly remembered something. She ran across the house once again. How she never slipped on the extremely polished wood, Kid would never know. She slid back into the room with a bottle of pills in one hand and a liquid and syringe in the other. She went over to Maka first and shot the liquid into her arm, causing her to relax, if possible, even farther into the couch than before. She then turned around and handed Kid the pills. He looked up, confused at the gesture. She rolled her eyes at her little brother.

"They're pills to help you sleep. They'll only knock you out for a few hours at most. Just take them so you don't moan to me for the next few hours how much your sorry ass hurts for getting the crap beatin out of you." She smirked wryly, and Kid snatched the pills from her hand with a pretend grumble. He swallowed the pills dry. After a minute or two, he could feel the effects of the pill start to kick in. The next thing he knew, he was out cold.

8********8

Maka woke to the sound of rattling pans and pots. The smell of cooking meat and vegetables filled her nostrils. It was the most heavenly thing she had ever experienced. She opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the warm light setting. Wait. Warm lights? Her house consisted of nothing but darkness all the time. Oh, that's right. She had gone to Kid's house, due to the fact that her father had finally lost it. Suddenly, a very cheerful and hearty voice resonated from the kitchen to her left.

"Morning there, star shine! Glad to see you've come back to the land of the living! We were pretty worried about you for a second. Especially Kid. He was almost sick when he saw you covered in blood, but you're all stitched up now!" Maka looked over to see a young woman, older than her, who looked almost exactly like Kid. She had the same amber eyes, but a bit warmer in color and, somehow, contained a crazy amount of energy and life hidden amongst them. Her hair was black like Kid's, but without the stripes. Her skin was the same in color, and her fashion choice was very close to Kid's. Almost all black attire. Who was this?

"Oops! Sorry hun! Forgot to mention, I'm Teena, Kiddo's sister!" She quickly walked around everything obstructing her way to Maka's couch, only her to hold out her hand in greeting. Maka shook it, still trying to grasp everything that was just presented to her through this very spunky young lady.

"You feelin' alright there, baby girl? You were pretty torn up when you came here. How do your bandages feel?" Teena looked down with concern now, her eyes radiating all of the care in the world. This girl was like reading a book, every emotion easily read as if they were words from pages.

"Bandages? What are you-"Maka began questioning the elder girls' queries, when she suddenly noticed the small amount of pressure against the palm of her right hand. Upon further inspection, she noticed that most of the rest of her body was covered in bandages as well. Had Kid's sister done this? If so, then why.

"Does it feel alright?" Teena's voice broke through Maka's train of thought, causing the young girl to be brought back to reality.

"I know that it's not the best medical care you could have received, but I think it can hold you two for now until the family doctor stops by tomorrow." Maka nodded in silent appreciation, but then thought of something she had just heard.

"Wait. What do you mean buy 'the two of you'?" The eyes of the eldest Kte changed expression yet again as they took on a dark aura all their own. Teen cleared her throat and nodded over the couch opposite of Maka.

What Maka saw chilled her to the very marrow of her bones. There lay Kid, covered in bandages just like her, and squirming restlessly under his sheets. He had a very large bump protruding from the side of his head. His eyes were both black and his nose was crusted with blood. He had bandages on both his arms and legs and ice packs all around him. Maka stared, gaping at the horrible sight in front of her.

"What happened? The last I saw him; Kid was perfectly fine and heading home. What could have happened in that short amount of time to cause this much damage?" She stared at Teena with pleading eyes, begging for an explanation. She sighed.

"Apparently, Kid had a falling out with some jerk from school. When I picked him up, he was half conscious and bleeding in a pile of leaves. But the doofus is fine now. I patched him up the best I could." Her voice was filled with disapprovement and slight anger, but her eyes betrayed her yet again. The shone love and concern for her little brother. Maka turned back around to the unconscious boy across from her who had done so much already. And how was he rewarded? A beating. This wasn't right. Someone as sweet and loving as Kid didn't deserve that kind of payment. He deserved to be loved back, and that's what Maka intended to do. When he was fully conscious and could comprehend what was going on, Maka would tell him how much she loved him and that she always would, no matter what his choice might be. As it turns out, she didn't have to wait long, for Kid's eyes slowly began to open.

8********8

Kid could smell food being cooked. What it was exactly he didn't know, but it was something to do with meat and maybe vegetables. He opened his eyes slowly, only to find out that the particular couch he was on was right underneath a light. He blinked a few times in order to adjust. Once his eyes were fully functioning, he looked around in order to find either a familiar face, or friendly one. To his surprise and delight, he found one that fit both profiles.

What he saw first can only be described as an angels gift. The girl he loved most sat across from him, beautiful emerald eyes wide and full of concern and something else. Her fair skin illuminated by the light above. Her smile outshining any diamond ever gazed upon by mortal eyes. Maka was perfect. She was the light to his darkness.

Before Kid could look at her any longer, she pushed herself off of the couch as quickly and as carefully as she could and ran over to him. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, consuming him with immediate warmth and comfort he didn't know he had needed. He hesitated if only for a second before wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her sandy blonde hair. This lasted for a few minutes before Maka relaxed and broke the connection between the two. She looked him dead in the eye and grabbed both of his hands with her tiny, frail ones.

"Can I talk to you about something? Maybe somewhere a little more private?" She knit her eyebrows to help emphasis her question. Kid nodded, pulling her to her feet, both of them still very unstable from their recent injuries.

"Teena, we're going outside for a while. Would you please let us know when dinner might be ready?" Teena looked him up and down, as if a mad man had just asked her for a jar of water and a chain for his rabbit. It wasn't until she saw their hands laced together did she understand.

"Dinner will be ready in about half an hour or so." Kid nodded, and led Maka over to a wall made almost entirely of glass. There were a few pairs of doors which led to a large marble patio that lay over the lake of the small town.

Kid held the door open for Maka as she stepped out into the crisp fall air. She was immediately hit with a case of the shivers and rubbed her arms up and down. Kid, seeing this, took a small afghan blanket from inside and placed it on her shoulders. She nodded gratefully at his gesture. He motioned to two wooden chairs a few feet away, which Maka sat down almost immediately, becoming anxious for what she was about to do.

Music played, breaking the usual silence of the night. It was some older artist; Maka had recognized him from songs her father used to play in his old truck. His name was Billy… something or other. But that wasn't really important right now. Was important was the man in front of her. The one that had saved her from her breaking point without even a second thought.

"Maka, I have something that I need to tell you" Kid spoke first which had caught her off guard. She listened anyway.

"Maka Albarn, I came to this town because my father wanted me to experience the lifestyle that came with it. Now, had I known that I would have met a girl as beautiful, smart, funny, and strong as you, I would have asked to move years ago. You have brought light to these eyes and I want to thank you for that. But I also want to tell you something. I love you." Those last three words took the breath right out of Maka's lungs. He loved her? He loved a small town girl who was absolutely nothing special. This had to be a dream. She had to still be asleep from the pain killers.

"Now, I understand if you don't feel the same way, but I just wanted to-"Kid was cut off by Maka's lips connecting with his.

It was like nothing he had ever dreamed of. Her lips tasted of vanilla. She was so soft, it was unbelievable. Kid could only pray that the kiss go on forever. He began kissing her back, causing her to elicit a small, pleasured moan. This encouraged him to go on and deepen the kiss. He wrapped his arms around her waist, careful not to hurt her further then what she already was. IN return, she wrapped her arms around his neck, being equally as careful. Once they could feel themselves losing air, they broke apart, foreheads still pressed together.

Their breaths showed in the late night chill, forming small vapor clouds around their smiling faces. Maka cleared her throat, causing Kid to look up.

"You should know, Kid, that I feel the same way about you. I love you Kid Kte. You've done what no one else in this town was able to. Save me from my personal hell of a home. You were my saving grace. My last hope for freedom. Thank you, Kid." She pecked him on the cheek sweetly, causing a blush to form on both of the teens faces.

All of a sudden, the two were startled by an increase in the background music's volume. They looked around confused, when Kid spotted his sister in the window, giving him the thumbs up. He knew what she was getting at, and smiled that she actually gave him some good advice for once.

"May I have this dance?" He held out his hand in a gentlemanly manner towards Maka, whose blush grew profusely at the gesture.

"Oh, Kid. I'm sorry. I don't know how to-"

"Don't worry about it." He picked her up off of the ground and placed her feet on his. He whispered in her hair.

"You just relax and hold on. I'll do all the work." He kissed her on the forehead as the next song came on. It was perfect.

_One look in your eyes and there I see_

_Just what you mean to me_

_Here in my heart I believe_

_Your love is all I'll ever need_

_Holdin' you close through the night_

_I need you, yeah_

_I look in your eyes and there I see_

_What happiness really means_

_The love that we share makes life so sweet_

_Together we'll always be_

_This pledge of love feels so right_

_And, ooh, I need you_

_Here and now_

_I promise to love faithfully _

_You're all I need_

_Here and now_

_I vow to be one with thee, hey_

_Your love is all I need_

_Say, yeah, yeah..._

Kid slowly spun Maka before the next verse, causing her to grab hold tighter to her dancing partner. They both smiled at one another, sharing another kiss full of love and warmth.

_When I look in your eyes, there I'll see_

_All that a love should really be_

_And I need you more and more each day_

_Nothin' can take your love away_

_More than I dare to dream_

_I need you_

_Here and now_

_I promise to love faithfully _

_You're all I need_

_Here and now_

_I vow to be one with thee , yeah_

_Your love is all I need_

_(Starting here) Ooh, and I'm starting now_

_I believe (I believe in love), I believe_

_(Starting here) I'm starting right here_

_(Starting now) Right now because I believe in your love_

_So I'm glad to take the vow_

_Here and now, oh_

_I promise to love faithfully (Faithfully)_

_You're all I need_

_Here and now, yeah_

_I vow to be one with thee (You and me), yeah_

_Your love is all I need_

_I, hey...yeah...yeah...hey..._

_Uh, hey..._

_I-I, love is all I need_

_Ooh...ooh...yeah..._

_Yeah...yeah...hey...yeah...yeah..._

_Love is all I need_

_Ooh...ooh..._

_Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah_

_Oh_

_Hey...yeah_

_Hey...yeah..._

As the music began to fade, Maka rested her head on Kids chest, which he nuzzled in return. Nothing could possibly this moment in time for the young love birds.

Teena sat in the kitchen watching her little brother dance with the girl he loved most. She smiled at how much love was between them. A blind man could see it clear as day. She nodded.

"Wait to go little bro."

**Okay, this chapter is longer because it's the fourth of July. It's also the eighth chapter ^ ^! I would like to recognize all of you who commented and reviewed the story since I never really got a chance to respond.**

**Otaku4Life524**

**Aniima Ryo Tenshi**

**Daughter of Zeuss007**

**TheCampanionCube**

**Yomiakasuna**

** .Fan4Ever**

**Anonymous**

**Thank you all so much for your reviews. And for those who think this story is over just because of the heartwarming chapter id horribly wrong. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, so a good amount of you were told that I would get this up last night. However, an unexpected predicament came up that I had to deal with. So, without further ado, here's chapter 9 (my number in softball!)**

Maka sat curled in Kid's lap at the old oak tree, watching as the sun started to sink towards the horizon. No matter how many times she would see it, Maka never got tired of watching the sun set. So many warm colors danced across the sky, it was a feeling like no other. She looked up at Kid and smiled.

To her surprise, he sneered at her loving glance. She was taken aback. He hadn't acted like that with her before. She tried to place her hand on his face, but he flinched at her movement. She looked at him, confused as ever.

"Kid? Are you okay? Do you feel sick or something?" He nodded. She was relieved. It wasn't her that was causing the problem. But he still glared at her.

"I am sick. I'm sick of you Maka. I should have never taken you in." Her heart dropped to her stomach. This was just what she was afraid might happen.

"Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry if I did. I won't do it again." She was clenching his shirt now, praying that he would say that he was kidding and that this was a terrible joke. He shook his head no.

"Don't you get it? I don't love you. I never did. No one loves you." Maka began shaking with disbelief. She had fallen for him. She loved him, and he didn't love her. He began laughing at her. She looked to his eyes but was surprised to be met with drooping turquoise eyes. The same eyes of her father. His hair began changing too, becoming longer, greasier, and a deep red. Then he spoke, but it wasn't him anymore.

"I told you couldn't run out on me Maka." The boy who she loved had turned into her nightmare of a father.

"This is wrong. It isn't possible. It's all a dream!" Maka screamed, shaking her head trying to force herself to wake up. Spirit's hand went straight for her throat, clenching it tightly.

"Oh, how you wish it was Maka."

8********8

Kid woke up to feel something on top of him shaking. It took him a moment to realize that he and Maka had fallen asleep on the couch together after dinner. When his eyes adjusted to the morning light, he was surprised to see Maka clenching and unclenching her fists on his chest and mumbling something incoherent. Whatever it was, she sounded terrified. Kid placed his hand on her shoulder and began shaking her gently.

"Maka. Maka! It's a dream. You can wake up now. No one will hurt you here." She startled awake, still shaking from her previous dream. She looked up at Kid, tears forming in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away, so he didn't see. But of course, he did. He wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his comforting warmth.

"I'm sorry Kid, I didn't mean to wake you-"

"Shhh… It's okay." He started rubbing small circles between her shoulder blades, causing her to relax into him. Her eyelids felt heavy, almost like she could go back to sleep for another hour or so. Just as she was thinking this, her body decided to let out an involuntary yawn. Kid chuckled.

"Go back to sleep. And don't worry; I'll be right here for you when you wake up." She nodded to show that she understood, snuggling into his chest in the process. He smiled and kissed her forehead.

Kid turned his head off to the left, searching for the one electronic clock. It read 7:25. Well, they were already late for school. Might as well skip the rest of the day. And with that, he snuggled back into the couch and drifted off once again.

8********8

Teena walked into the main living room at 8:30. Sure it was late for her, but she didn't have anything to look forward to today. Kid was staying home, with his new girlfriend; she had no meetings, and nowhere to be. She slid over to the fridge to find an entire shelf of energy drinks, all different flavors. She smiled.

"Good morning my darlings! And how are we doing this terribly bright and late morning?" Teena was surprised when she got a response.

"Why, we're just peachy thanks for asking!" She jumped, completely caught off guard by the response. But she relaxed when she heard a giggling from behind.

"Kid, you scare me one more time, and you're gonna wish you stayed at that gas station." She turned around to see both Kid and Maka sitting on the couch, sharing both a blanket and similar grins.

"And how are my other 'darlings' doing this morning? The medicine help any?" They both nodded.

"Good. Dr. Stein will be stopping by in about half an hour to make sure everything's okay." Maka smiled and nodded, while Kid's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. He groaned.

"NO! Not Stein! That guy always wants to dissect someone! Can't we have someone else come and check on us?" Teena shook her head.

"Just because Stein is mad, doesn't mean he's a bad doctor. You know he always gets his work done despite his… tendencies." Maka looked between the Kte's confused as to what they were arguing about. Kid explained.

"Dr. Franken Stein is our family doctor. He and my father went to high school together. But the guy is a total screw ball." Kid made a twirling motion with his index finger towards his head. A soft pillow hit him square in the face. He looked over to see Teena chugging down one of her many energy drinks. She wiped her lips and glared at Kid.

"The man is a genius and has fixed me up more times than I can count. He's coming, you two are getting checked out, and you won't complain. Got it, Kid?" He sighed in defeat and gave a mock salute.

"Good. Now what do you two want for breakfast?" She asked. Kid shrugged.

"I don't really care. What do you want?" He asked turning to Maka. She shrugged too.

"I don't usually have breakfast. I'm fine, really." Teena shook her head.

"Maka, if you're gonna live with us, you're gonna have to learn how to eat like us. So, I'll make the usual, and you tell me what you think. Deal?" Maka nodded. "Good."

8********8

Maka was in heaven. Kid's sister had prepared a meal fit for a king. There were pancakes, waffles, toast, assorted fruit, sausage, bacon, eggs don every way possible. It took up the entire dining room table. Maka sat eating her second piece of bacon when a knock came from the front door. Due to her reflexes, she stopped in the middle of chewing and tensed herself for what was on the other side. She relaxed when she saw a middle aged man with grey hair and thick wire glasses walk in with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

"Morning Dr. Stein! Care for some breakfast?" Teena opened the door, and Stein lumbered in. He held up his hand in greeting.

"No thank you Teena. I have to hurry with this checkup. There is a family not too far from here that all caught the chicken pox and I have to run them some cream. So, where's Kid?" He began rubbing his hands together, anxious to examine one of his most interesting patients. Teena let out a nervous laugh.

"Well, you see the funny thing about that is, umm… You have one more patient than expected." This caught Stein's attention.

"Oh? And who might be the extra work you've so graciously bestowed upon me?" His eyes scanned the mansion until they landed on the threshold of the dining room. There he saw a pair of unfamiliar emerald green eyes full of caution. A small smile played on his lips. Stein started off towards the direction of the two teens but was stopped by a pair of small, firm hands.

"Now look Stein, Maka is a guest. We need her to be treated as such. That means no talk of dissection, got it?" Stein sighed.

"If that's how it has to be, than fine. No talk of dissection." Teena smiled and walked away, feeling more secure with the doctor.

Stein came into the dining room slumped over, disappointed that he couldn't dissect his new patient. Not even a little bit. Both Kid and Maka looked towards his direction. He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Alright you two, who am I checking on first? Should we go by the old fashioned rule of 'ladies first'?" He nodded towards Maka, who sheepishly nodded back, becoming unsure of the doctor. Kid looked on disapprovingly. Maka, almost reluctantly, got up from her seat and sat over by Stein, who seemed to have a crazed look about him.

The checkup went rather smoothly. Stein immediately went to all of the bandages on Maka's body, making sure that everything was done correctly. He started to check her breathing with his stethoscope. He stopped when he touched the small of her back and she inhaled sharply. This sparked Steins curiosity.

"Have we been hiding something, Miss Albarn?" He asked suspiciously, lifting up her shirt without her consent. Both her and Kid blushed and turned away from one another. Steins eyes widened slightly in surprise of how damaged the skin on her back was. There was a bruise about twice the size of his fist. In the very center of the black and blue circle was a long, blood crusted gash, most likely caused by a glass.

"Were you hit by something? There's a very large bruise here." He searched her face for anything that would give him an answer, but all got was a pair of elusive eyes. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"Whatever. I don't have time for an explanation anyway. Just sit still." Maka nodded as Stein began cleaning the wound.

8********8

The rest of Maka's checkup was uneventful. The same for Kid, except for when Stein took off Kid's shirt, causing both him and Maka to blush at each other once again. Stein began packing his things up when he sensed a presence leering behind him. He sighed for what seemed like the tenth time that day.

"You're not very sneaky, Teena. Do you know that?"

He turned around to see a pair of amber eyes with a Cheshire cat smile from the shadows. Teena stepped out from her hiding space, a mischievous smile on her face.

"Aw, c'mon Doc, I've gotten better. But that's not why I'm here. The kids are changing right now, and I'd like to know the verdict before they do." The cheerfulness almost fully left her face. Stein chuckled.

"You haven't changed one bit. Always wanting to be one step ahead. Total hipster." Teena scoffed.

"Just give me the results Stein!" She growled, punching him in the arm.

"They're both fine. Just a few days of rest and no physical activities for 3-5 weeks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to that chicken pox family." He waved goodbye, and showed himself to the door. Teena sighed, a large weight being lifted off of her shoulders.

8*******8

Spirit sat in the middle of the small hospital bedroom, messing with the buttons that controlled his bed. Finally, the man he had been waiting for came into the room, his badge reflecting the light from the ceiling. The sheriff came to speak to him about his injuries.

"Well Spirit, what happened? What happened to make you lose an eye?" The sheriff's mustache twitched with each question. Despite his age, his hair was already a snow white. Spirit put on his best hurt face and began explaining the story to the officer.

"Thank goodness you were doing your patrols when you were, Sheriff Evans. It all happened so quickly. One minute I caught her smoking and drinking, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground, seeing the world in red." He shook to add effect to his story.

For the next half hour, Spirit explained to Sherriff Evans that Maka had been smoking and drinking when he had come home. He didn't approach angrily at all, and simply asked her to hand him the drugs and booze so that they could get her help. When he put his hand forward, she attacked him by throwing glasses at him. One of them caught him the face, shattered, and cut him all the way across his face.

"So when we bring her in, what do you want to do?" The sheriff asked, putting away his pen and paper.

"I don't want to press charges. She is in a very confusing part of her life right now. I'm sure that if I just talk to her I can smooth everything out." He crossed his arms and nod his head, as if agreeing with himself. The sheriff looked skeptical, but didn't say anything.

"Do you know where she might be hiding out at?" This took Spirit off guard. He scratched his chin in fake thought. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Does it really matter though? When she goes back to school, we'll just grab her out of class and take her to get some help." The sheriff shook his head in disagreement.

"Albarn, you do realize that this week is Thanksgiving week right? All the kids will be out of school for a week on break. She could be out of the state by then." Spirit internally slapped himself. How could he not know what week it was? He was such an idiot. No matter. He would find Maka sooner or later. And when he did, he would make sure she learned her lesson.

8********8

Liz sat on Soul's lap, drawing circles in his chest with her over grown, but manicured, nails. Across from them were their great friends and Soul's running back. Black*Star held Tsubaki next to him by the waist. They listened to Soul's recollection with the new kid, Kid Kte.

"So, you just beat the crap out of the guy? Right in front of the gas station?" Black*Star asked, a puzzled look on his face. Soul nodded a giant grin on his face. Tsubaki smiled nervously.

"Dumb kid didn't even know what was coming. When I left him, he was just lying there in a pile a leaves. That'll teach him to hit on my girlfriend." He smiled down at Liz, who, in return, began making out with him. Black*Star scrunched up his face in disgust. Couldn't they take their gross make out session somewhere else? He could feel Tsubaki tensing up next to him.

Now, Black*Star wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he could always read people's emotions. He nudged her lightly with his hand, signaling her to move. Soul looked up from his girlfriend to see his best friend leaving the diner.

"Where are you two goin'? I thought we were gonna hangout this afternoon?" This is usually where Black*Star got stuck. He couldn't think up a suitable lie to tell his best friend. Luckily, he had Tsubaki. She let out a small cough to pull the attention towards her.

"We forgot that we had grab some extra credit for Black*Star to do over the break. Sorry." She bowed in an apologizing manner, which Soul and Liz both blew off.

"Whatever. See ya later then, I guess." Liz waved them away, and pulled her boyfriend back in for another face sucking session.

As they walked home, Black*Star couldn't help but feel a strange knot in his stomach that he had never felt before. It wasn't hunger, he had eaten at the restaurant, despite the little time he had. Tsubaki noticed his face contorted in concentration and grabbed his hand, doing her best to comfort him. He looked up and smiled gratefully.

"What's wrong? You don't look that strained except when you're in the middle of a test." He shrugged.

"I feel something weird in my stomach that I haven't felt before. It happened after Soul told us about that new guy getting his ass whooped." Tsubaki nodded and smiled knowingly.

"Its guilt, Black*Star. For once, you don't agree with Soul's way of dealing with problems." Realization dawned on Black*Star. But he had never disagreed with Souls tactics before. So why now? Maybe he was doing that thing Tsubaki always wanted him to do. What was it called? Mature? Yeah, that sounded right.

"Oh." Was all he said. He looked down at sidewalk, his concentration returning. What should he do to get rid of this gross feeling? Whatever it was, he needed to do it fast. He looked over at the girl on his arm, a question forming on his lips.

"Should we go and check on him?" She took the words right out of his mouth. He looked away, embarrassed.

"A big guy like me go and check and that weakling? No way! Not gonna happen. Big guys like me don't-". He was stopped by a small peck on his cheek. His cheeks burned a bright red immediately. He coughed, taken off guard.

"I guess we can swing by real quick." Tsubaki nodded, approving of her boyfriend's improvement.

**Alright, I did both things mentioned to me in my reviews. 1: I made it seem like Kid was lying in the beginning and 2: Got Tsubaki and Black*Star in the story. I know that it wasn't a very exciting chapter, but I plan to make it more interesting next time. If you have anything you'd like to comment on or criticize please let me know. It scares the children at the JCC to hear my email tone on my phone. XD Their little faces are priceless! **


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